of Iraq and Afghanistan. Third is the bloated military budget.

for discussion??

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011504114.html

Obama Pledges Entitlement Reform
President-Elect Says He'll Reshape Social Security, Medicare Programs
By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 16, 2009

President-elect Barack Obama pledged yesterday to shape a new Social Security and Medicare "bargain" with the American people, saying that the nation's long-term economic recovery cannot be attained unless the government finally gets control over its most costly entitlement programs.

That discussion will begin next month, Obama said, when he convenes a "fiscal responsibility summit" before delivering his first budget to Congress. He said his administration will begin confronting the issues of entitlement reform and long-term budget deficits soon after it jump-starts job growth and the stock market.

"What we have done is kicked this can down the road. We are now at the end of the road and are not in a position to kick it any further," he said. "We have to signal seriousness in this by making sure some of the hard decisions are made under my watch, not someone else's."

I mean, it's "not a driver of deficit" in the sense that it's self-funded, but if you spent less on Social Security benefits you would decrease the deficit.

I'd love to revisit how the CPI is calculated, but this idea is pretty stupid.

It's self funded, but cutting it reduces the amount the govt borrows.

Blame Clinton for claiming a surplus

the people you borrowed from pay for the bad debts YOU ran up with the money they lent you. It makes no sense.

THEY borrowed from US. They borrowed for things they could not afford. We the people are one of their creditors. We did not go and gamble away our money, THEY did.

Now they have to sacrifice, they have to stop spending money on what caused them to get into debt in the first place. No more tax cuts for the wealthy and no more wars we do not need.

Should they try to make China pay down the US Debt. China, like the American people, are also their creditors. What should they force China to cut? That of course would be a ridiculous suggestion, just as it is a ridiculous suggestion to ask any of their Creditors to help them pay down debts they ran up.

Obviously I know that we shouldn't do that

It's another issue where we are being convinced to vote against our own interests.

pulled on the American people.

They just assume we'll all buy their crap like they do in Indiana. Guess what, they are a gerrymandered minority.They are scared of the 98%.

Even though the trust fund is an accounting gimmick, the perceived solvency gives a longevity to the SS fund and to SS itself. If it were seen as insolvent that is when you can truly start changing things.

The government started borrowing against Social Security in the 80's, or somewhere around that time period, and they will have to start paying what they borrowed back. So they will have to borrow from somewhere else to start paying it back. So the only way it ties into the debt is because Social Security wants to get their investment back.

I would suggest we stiff the banksters, the MIC, China and Saudi Arabia, before we take food off the table of an 85 year old American who has paid for their retirement.